Rotating brush attachment for use with a vacuum

ABSTRACT

A motorized vacuum brush head for use with a vacuum. The brush head has a body with an air passage passing though it. The face of the brush head faces the surface being cleaned. A rotatable brush and the air passage mouth are on the face. The brush is flat and has an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the face. The brush rotates parallel to and substantially co-planar with the face. Several arms of bristles extend radially from the brush&#39;s axis of rotation. As the brush rotates, the leading edge of the bristles drive debris toward the mouth, where it becomes entrained in the air stream entering the vacuum. The rotation of the brush in the plane of the face allows the bristles to remain in continuous contact with the surface being cleaned, thereby increasing the efficiency with which the brush head, and by extension, the vacuum clean.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to vacuum attachments in general and to powered hand-held vacuum attachments in particular.

2. Prior Art

Prior art vacuums have brush attachments. Passive or unpowered attachments are common. In these devices, a nozzle is placed at the end of the vacuum intake opening. The end of the nozzle is provided with a brush. The brush is used to scrub the surface being cleaned manually. Debris dislodged by the brush is picked up by the air stream being drawn into the vacuum.

Powered vacuum brush attachments are also known in the prior art. For example, published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/100,727 discloses a powered vacuum attachment with a rotary brush. The powered brush provides obvious advantages over the manual brush in that the operator does not have to manually scrub the surface being cleaned. However, in the type of attachments disclosed in the '727 Application, the brush rotates on drum. Bristles extend generally radially from the drum. As the drum rotates only a small portion of the bristles are in contact with the surface being cleaned at any one time. Thus, much of the brush is not doing work as it rotates. Similarly, the brush is only scrubbing a relatively small area compared to its surface area at any one time. In view of the foregoing, a powered vacuum attachment meeting the following objectives is desired.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a powered brush attachment for a hand-held vacuum.

It is another object of the invention to provide a powered brush attachment with bristles configured to maintain constant contact with the surface being cleaned during rotation of the brush.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a powered brush attachment configured to scrub a relatively large area of the surface being cleaned relative to the surface area of the brush.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a powered brush attachment provided with bristles configured to direct debris toward the debris intake opening as the brush is rotated.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a brush attachment powered by the vacuum's internal electrical system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises a motorized vacuum brush head for use with a vacuum. The brush head has a body and an air passage that passes though it. The air passage engages the air intake of the vacuum so that air is drawn into the vacuum through the air passage. The face of the brush head faces the surface being cleaned. A rotatable brush and the air passage mouth are both position on the face proximate to one another. The brush is flat and has an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the face. The brush rotates parallel to and substantially co-planar with the face. In one preferred configuration, several arms of bristles extend radially from the brush's axis of rotation. The arms are preferably curved. As the brush rotates, the leading edge of the bristles drive debris toward the mouth, where it will becomes entrained in the air stream entering the vacuum. The rotation of the brush in the plane of the face allows the bristles to remain in continuous contact with the surface being cleaned, thereby increasing the efficiency with which the brush head, and by extension, the vacuum clean.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a motorized vacuum brush head.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of a motorized vacuum brush head.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a motorized vacuum brush head showing a hand-held vacuum with which the motorized vacuum brush head may be used in dashed lines.

FIG. 4 is a side cut-away view of a preferred embodiment of a motorized vacuum brush head.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a motorized vacuum brush head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODE

The invention comprises a motorized vacuum brush head 1 for use with a vacuum 2. Vacuum 2 will preferably be provided with an air intake aperture 3 through which air and debris may be drawn into vacuum 2. Vacuum 2 may contain its own power source such as batteries or vacuum 2 may be provided with an external power source such as wall current or twelve volt power from an automobile. In any case, vacuum 2 will be provided with an electrical system 4 which will conduct electricity to the components of vacuum 2 that require it. Vacuum 2 is preferably a hand-held vacuum.

Brush head 1 comprises a body 5. Body 5 has a face 6 that is configured and positioned to face the surface of the object being cleaned.

Body 5 includes an air passage 7 that extends through body 5. Air passage 7 has a mouth 10 and a discharge opening 9. Discharge opening 9 is configured to operative engage air intake aperture 3 so that air being drawn into vacuum 2 via air intake aperture 3 will be pulled through air passage 7. Mouth 10 is at the opposite end of air passage 7 from discharge opening 9. Air being drawn through air passage 7 will enter via mouth 10. Debris will enter air passage 7 via mouth 10 as well, and will be carried to vacuum 2. Mouth 10 is preferably positioned on face 6.

Body 5 is further provided with a rotating brush 11, preferably positioned on face 6. Brush 11 is also preferably disc shaped, though any substantially flat shape may be used. Brush 11 is provided with an axis of rotation 12 about which brush 11 rotates. Axis of rotation 12 is substantially perpendicular to face 6. This will cause brush 11 to rotate in a plane that is substantially parallel to and co-planar with face 6.

Brush 11 is preferably provided with a plurality of bristles 13. Bristles 13 may be arranged in any configuration; however, in the preferred embodiment, bristles 13 are configured in a plurality of arms 14 extending radially from axis of rotation 12. Arms 14 are preferably curved and will have a leading edge 15 and a trailing edge 16 when brush 11 is rotated.

Brush 11 is preferably positioned proximate to mouth 10. As brush 11 is rotated, arms 14 of bristles 13, and particularly leading edges 15 of bristle arms 14 will drive debris toward mouth 10.

The preferred configuration of brush 11 with an axis of rotation 11 perpendicular to face 6 will serve to keep bristles 13 in constant contact with the surface in the environment being cleaned. Similarly, the surface area of brush 11 will be substantially the same as the surface area of the surface being cleaned by brush 11 at any given time.

Body 5 further comprises an electric motor 17. Motor 17 is operatively connected to brush 11. Operation of motor 17 drives brush 11 about its axis of rotation 11. Motor 17 is electrically connected to electrical system 4 of vacuum 2. The connection may be via an external cord that plugs into body 5 and electrically connects motor 17 to electrical system 4. Similarly, body 5 may be provided with electrical leads which plug directly into a receiver that is connected to electrical system 4 of vacuum 2 when body 5 engages vacuum 2. Of course, all of the foregoing assumes that body 5 will be detachable from vacuum 2, as will be the case in the preferred embodiment. However, body 5 may be permanently or semi-permanently attached to vacuum 2. In such case, motor 17 may be hard wired into electrical system 4 of vacuum 2.

In operation, vacuum 2 will be utilized to engage and clean a surface, particularly an environmental surface, or that surface which is in the environment of vacuum 2 and sought to be cleaned. In such case, body 5 will preferably engage vacuum 2 and connect to electrical system 4. Electrical system 4 will deliver power to motor 17, thereby causing brush 11 to rotate while vacuum 2 draws air into air intake aperture 3 and air passage 7 via mouth 10. As bristles 11 of brush 11 contact the surface being cleaned, bristles 13 will scrub the surface and cause debris to become dislodged from the surface. As bristles 13 rotate, they will drive loose debris toward mouth 10. As debris approaches mouth 10, it will become entrained in the air stream entering mouth 10 and will be drawn into vacuum 2 via mouth 10 and air passage 7 along with the air stream.

In operation, body 5 will preferably engage vacuum 2 and connect to electrical system 4. Electrical system 4 will deliver power to motor 17, thereby causing brush 11 to rotate while vacuum 2 draws air into air intake aperture 3 and air passage 7 via mouth 10. As bristles 11 of brush 11 contact the surface being cleaned, bristles 13 will scrub the surface and cause debris to become dislodged from the surface. As bristles 13 rotate, they will drive loose debris toward mouth 10. As debris approaches mouth 10, it will become entrained in the air stream entering mouth 10 and will be drawn into vacuum 2 via mouth 10 and air passage 7 along with the air stream.

A vacuum 2 having brush head 1 could be used to clean a wide variety of surfaces. It could be used to discharge dried on dirt or other items from hard surface, with brush 10 scrubbing the dried on item and vacuum 2 picking up the debris as it is dislodged. Similarly, brush 10 could be used to dislodge dry debris from carpet fibers so that vacuum 2 could pick up the particles once they are dislodged. Brush head 1 would be useful for stained carpet or tiles as well. An operator could spray cleaner on the stain. Brush head 1 could be positioned so that brush 10 would scrub the stain. Bristles 11 would work the cleaner into the stain, scrubbing it off the surface. Vacuum 2 would suction the cleaner and dissolved stain components away from the surface.

Other uses and embodiments of the invention, equivalent to those disclosed herein, will occur to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the following claims. 

1. A motorized vacuum brush head for use with a hand-held vacuum having an air intake aperture and an electrical system wherein said brush head comprises: a body having a face; an air passage extending through said body, said air passage having a mouth and a discharge opening, wherein said mouth is positioned on said face of said body and wherein said discharge end is configured to engage said air intake aperture of said hand-held vacuum; a motorized brush positioned on said face of said body; said a motorized brush having an axis of rotation about which said brush is configured to rotate, said axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to said face whereby said brush is configured to rotate in a plane substantially parallel to said face; an electric motor configured to drive said brush; and an electrical connection between said brush and said electrical system of said hand-held vacuum.
 2. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 1 wherein said brush is configured to rotate in a plane substantially co-planar with said face.
 3. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 1 wherein said brush is positioned proximate to said mouth of said air passage.
 4. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 3 wherein said brush is provided with bristles.
 5. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 4 wherein said bristles are configured in a plurality of arms radiating outward from said axis of rotation.
 6. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 5 wherein said arms of bristles are curved.
 7. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 6 wherein said arms have a leading edge and a trailing edge when brush is rotated.
 8. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 6 wherein said arms are configured to drive debris toward said mouth of said air passage when said brush is rotated.
 9. A motorized vacuum brush head according to claim 3 wherein said brush is configured to engage an environmental surface during operation and wherein said brush is configured to maintain contact between substantially all of said bristles and said environmental surface during rotation of said brush. 